


Swashbuckling

by Transposable_Element



Category: Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis, Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Episode: s01e06 The Naked Time, Friendship, Gen, Post - Prince Caspian, Swordplay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-16
Updated: 2014-06-16
Packaged: 2018-02-04 20:44:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1792621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Transposable_Element/pseuds/Transposable_Element
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reepicheep visits the Enterprise. Luckily, the first person he meets knows just how to entertain him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Swashbuckling

Sulu was on his way to the bioscience labs to check on an experiment when he came face to face—or rather, knee to face—with the creature. It was furry, dark gray, about two feet high standing on its hind legs, and looked like a giant rat. Or no, not a rat. Judging by the short muzzle and large, round ears it was more like a mouse. A very, very big one. 

The most likely explanation was that the creature was an escapee: an experimental animal, or somebody’s exotic pet. Or it could be a robot released into the corridors of the Enterprise as a joke. Perhaps it was a hologram, or a hallucination caused by some alien virus, or a creature who had wandered in from another universe through an inter-dimensional portal. Maybe a super-intelligent, quasi-omnipotent being was playing tricks on them again. The possibilities were endless. 

The creature bowed elegantly and spoke. “Greetings, noble sir. I am Reepicheep of Narnia, Knight of the Realm and loyal subject of his highness, King Caspian the Tenth of that name.” Sulu crossed off the “exotic pet” hypothesis: Federation Law strictly prohibited keeping intelligent beings as pets. A new possibility occurred to him: the Enterprise sometimes transported alien diplomats from one post to another. This didn’t look like any intelligent alien species he knew of, but there were many with which he was unfamiliar.

“Are you perhaps mute, sirrah?” asked the creature sharply. “Will you not declare yourself?”

Sulu remembered his manners. “Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu, of the Starship Enterprise,” he said, bowing.

The creature—well, call it a giant mouse, Sulu decided—nodded gravely. “And are you on shore leave from your ship, good Lieutenant?”

Did the mouse not know where it was? “We’re on the Enterprise right now, Sir Knight,” said Sulu. 

“Indeed? Then we must be in dock. I cannot feel any motion of the sea.”

“Well, no, sir, not in dock…” said Sulu. “Um, whence came you, Sir Reepicheep? And how?”

“Ah, through a portal,” said the mouse. “A door in the air. Aslan himself sent me. I asked if he would take me to his country, and he said that I must be patient. Instead he sent me here, just for a brief visit. He said it would be a very good joke.”

 _Aha! Inter-dimensional portal_ , Sulu thought. And it sounded as though a super-intelligent, quasi-omnipotent being might be involved, as well. “Then we must make you welcome, sir,” he said.

“You are very gracious, Lieutenant,” said the mouse, bowing again. “May we go above deck, that I may feel the wind in my fur?”

Sulu tried to explain that the ship was in space and that they couldn’t go outside, but the mouse didn’t seem to understand. Finally, Sulu took his visitor to an observation port so that he could look out at the stars. The mouse was speechless for a moment. Then he whispered, “By my honor! This is a marvel indeed!” Sulu pointed out a nebula and several other features of interest. Soon they were chatting together like two courtly gentlemen of old. Reepicheep explained that his young king had just fought and won a war against his usurping uncle, “a war,” the mouse said modestly, “in which I and my people played no small part.” 

Sulu had already noticed that the mouse wore a rapier at his belt. “Then I take it that the sword you wear is no mere ornament,” he said.

“Indeed not!” said Reepicheep. “A courtier who wears the trappings of a swordsman simply for display dishonors his weapon!”

“In that case, good Sir Knight,” said Sulu, “would you care to cross swords with me?”

“Lieutenant,” said the mouse, “nothing would give me greater pleasure.”

It was not far from the observation deck to the gym, where Sulu kept his fencing gear. “Richilieu, beware!” he muttered, inspecting his blade. He and Reepicheep faced each other and saluted with their swords.

" _En garde_ ," said Reepicheep. Then the duel began.

They were surprisingly well-matched. Sulu was much stronger and larger, of course, with a correspondingly longer reach, but Reepicheep was quicker and very wily. Also, having to bend down threw Sulu off-balance, whereas Reepicheep was used to battling taller foes. 

They started in the gym but didn’t stay there for long. They had already discovered that the mouse was too small to trigger the door, so Sulu was taken by surprise when the door opened to admit a crewmember and the mouse seized the opportunity to dash out into the hallway. Sulu pursued him around the deck, trying not to worry about what would happen if Security got wind of this. Well, he was entertaining a guest from another dimension. Security would make allowances. He hoped.

Eventually Reepicheep found one of the ladders giving access to the decks above and below and led Sulu a merry chase through the materials science lab and then into the shuttle bay, where they took turns ambushing each other, using the shuttle crafts as cover. The technicians working in the bay seemed to find this amusing and assured Sulu that they wouldn’t dream of calling Security. After a while Reepicheep took off again, exploring, and eventually they found themselves in Engineering. Climbing one of the catwalks, Reepicheep took advantage of the unaccustomed high ground to rain blows down upon Sulu, who was dripping with sweat and thoroughly enjoying himself. Then Scotty yelled at them to get away from his engines, so they raced back out into the corridor.

Rounding a corner as he sped down the hallway after Reepicheep, Sulu nearly ran into Lieutenant Uhura. She was standing in the middle of the walkway staring perplexedly at the mouse. “Aha! I’ll protect you, fair maiden!” Sulu cried, reaching for her.

“Oh no you don’t! Not this time!” she said, eluding him. She grabbed the arm of a passing yeoman and pushed her toward Sulu. “Here, Jimenez,” she said, “Now’s your chance to be a maiden fair!” Jimenez warmed to the role immediately.

The mouse, who had paused in his flight down the hallway, turned, placed a paw theatrically on his breast, and made one of his elegant bows. “My dear Mr. Sulu,” he said, waggling his whiskers, “You must introduce me to these ladies. I hope I do not offend when I say that their beauty is without parallel. If I may be so bold, they rival even Queen Susan herself!”

“Uh, thank you,” said Uhura. “Sulu, who _is_ this?”

“Sir Reepicheep of Narnia, may I introduce Lieutenant Nyota Uhura,” Sulu said, gasping a little, as he was still out of breath. “…and this is Yeoman…” he paused, looking questioningly at the woman clinging to his arm.

“Hui-sheng Jimenez,” she said. “But you may call me Lady Marie-Clarice Giselle Belmont de Montmercy.” 

“Of course,” said Sulu. “Sir Reepicheep is an inter-dimensional traveler,” he added, by way of explanation.

“Just as long as he’s not a tribble,” Uhura muttered.

“This lady is a lieutenant?” the mouse asked, clearly intrigued. “A warrior in her own right? Oh, how marvelous! I have heard tales of such ladies—the warrior queens of the Seven Isles—but never thought to meet one!” He bowed again. “Dear lady, I am honored.”

Sulu, thinking that the duel had reached its natural conclusion, suggested calling it a draw and going to get a cup of coffee. Uhura, though still somewhat perplexed, was beginning to enjoy Sir Reepicheep’s extravagant flattery. As for Jimenez, she quite relished being a maiden fair.

They caused a stir when they arrived at the canteen. Reepicheep regaled the assembled crewmembers with tales of the war he had just fought, and if he exaggerated his own exploits, well, who could blame him? He listened raptly to their stories of pitched space battles and exploration of alien planets. He nibbled a sesame wafer and pronounced it delectable. Somebody managed to program the replicator to produce mead.

Eventually, however, the party had to end. A structure composed of three sticks, rather like an old-fashioned doorway, shimmered into existence at one end of the canteen. Through the portal, they could see a green hillside populated by centaurs, dwarfs, some half-naked girls with moss in their hair, and a wicked-looking satyr bearing a striking resemblance to Commander Spock—who, fortunately, was presently on duty on the bridge. 

“Reepicheep, I must call you home to Narnia, for now,” said a deep, resonant voice. “I trust you have enjoyed your visit.”

“Indeed I have, O Highest of all High Kings,” said the mouse, reverently. He turned to Sulu. “Thank you, noble sir, for your kindness and open-heartedness. I suppose we will not meet again…unless…”

“Unless?”

“Unless you would like to come with me to see _my _country,” said the mouse. “I am certain Aslan will send you back in good time—indeed, he often sends visitors from other worlds home before they are ready to go…”__

“Do you suppose it would count as AWOL?” Sulu asked Uhura. “It doesn’t sound as though I’d be gone long.”

“Go on,” she said. “Seek out new life, and new civilizations. If you’re not back before your next duty shift I’ll try to square it with Spock and the captain.”

This was all the encouragement Sulu needed. He grinned and followed the mouse through the portal. A moment later he was back again: muddy, crowned with a garland of leaves, and slightly drunk. The portal disappeared.

“No time lost at this end,” said Uhura. “I take it you were there for a few days?”

Sulu nodded woozily. “Those Narnians know how to throw a party!” he said.


End file.
